emotion

noun
emo·​tion | \ i-ˈmō-shən How to pronounce emotion (audio) \

Definition of emotion

1a : a conscious mental reaction (such as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body
b : a state of feeling
c : the affective aspect of consciousness : feeling
b obsolete : disturbance

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Choose the Right Synonym for emotion

feeling, emotion, affection, sentiment, passion mean a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation. feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it. the feelings that once moved me are gone emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling, encompasses both positive and negative responses. the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings. a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea. her feminist sentiments are well known passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion. revenge became his ruling passion

Examples of emotion in a Sentence

a display of raw emotion The defendant showed no emotion when the verdict was read. She was overcome with emotion at the news of her friend's death.
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Recent Examples on the Web Dramatic times tend to heighten emotions and outcomes, Schwartz says. Olivia Goldhill, Quartz, "Coronavirus quarantines will likely lead to an uptick in babies and divorces," 19 Mar. 2020 Many people with these disorders are going through a wave of similar emotions and thoughts. NBC News, "Coronavirus is a 'personal nightmare' for people with OCD and anxiety disorders," 19 Mar. 2020 Having positive emotions and experiences — doing something for others — is helpful. oregonlive, "How to manage stress and anxiety during coronavirus crisis," 19 Mar. 2020 For the Wolverines, the 72 hours that spanned the end of their season were filled with raw emotion and disbelief. Orion Sang, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan basketball and the final 72 hours of a season cut short by a force of nature," 15 Mar. 2020 In the 1969 paper, Sanders highlighted the notion of a relationship between emotions and cancer. Olivia Rubin, ABC News, "For Bernie Sanders, radical views once extended to theories on what causes cancer," 27 Feb. 2020 Case in point: The sunglasses label Loving Victorious Beings by Lars von Bennigsen, which takes the concept of color therapy—the idea of emotions and ailments through colors—and translates this to his lenses. Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "Can Tinted Sunglasses Change Your Mood?," 24 Feb. 2020 But over the short-to-intermediate-term stock prices are driven by trends, emotions and expectations. Ben Carlson, Fortune, "Trying to make sense of Tesla’s unbelievable run," 5 Feb. 2020 This transformed politics from an industry of policy and legislation into an industry of emotion and entertainment. Greg Jackson, Harper's magazine, "Vicious Cycles," 6 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'emotion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of emotion

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

History and Etymology for emotion

Middle French, from emouvoir to stir up, from Old French esmovoir, from Latin emovēre to remove, displace, from e- + movēre to move

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Learn More about emotion

Time Traveler for emotion

Time Traveler

The first known use of emotion was in 1579

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Statistics for emotion

Last Updated

25 Mar 2020

Cite this Entry

“Emotion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emotion. Accessed 31 Mar. 2020.

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More Definitions for emotion

emotion

noun
How to pronounce emotion (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of emotion

: a strong feeling (such as love, anger, joy, hate, or fear)

emotion

noun
emo·​tion | \ i-ˈmō-shən How to pronounce emotion (audio) \

Kids Definition of emotion

: strong feeling (as anger, love, joy, or fear) often accompanied by a physical reaction She flushed with emotion.

emotion

noun
emo·​tion | \ i-ˈmō-shən How to pronounce emotion (audio) \

Medical Definition of emotion

1 : the affective aspect of consciousness
2 : a state of feeling
3 : a conscious mental reaction (as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body — compare affect

Other Words from emotion

emotional \ -​shnəl, -​shən-​ᵊl How to pronounce emotional (audio) \ adjective
emotionality \ -​ˌmō-​shə-​ˈnal-​ət-​ē How to pronounce emotionality (audio) \ noun, plural emotionalities
emotionally \ -​ˈmō-​shnə-​lē, -​shən-​ᵊl-​ē How to pronounce emotionally (audio) \ adverb

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Comments on emotion

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